June reads

THE SECRET LIVES OF BOOKSELLERS & LIBRARIANS by James Patterson & Matt Eversmann (5*) NF/Audio

A fabulous ode to books and reading. I’ve got a suspicion I’ll be revisiting this book several times in the future.

THE PICTURE HOUSE MURDERS (Miss Clara Vale #1) by Fiona Veitch Smith (4*)

Went back to the start of the Clara Vale series since I enjoyed books #2 and 3 so much. Didn’t love this first instalment as much as I did the sequels, but it was still a fun introduction to a captivating character operating in a fascinating historical period (1929). I love the emphasis on female rights and other historical details such as the start of talking movies.

MONA OF THE MANOR (Tales of the City #10) by Armistead Maupin (4.5*) Audio

I can't believe I've reached the end of my Tales of the City journey. Hopefully there's more to come but I fear this may be it. But if it is the last tale of the city, what a perfect way to bow out. This is an action and emotion-packed story that had me captivated from start to finish. I'm going to miss these books and these characters.

CABARET MACABRE (Joseph Spector Locked-Room Mystery #3) by Tom Mead (5*).

A captivating historical mystery filled with impossible murders, victims, and intrigue. I’m in awe of how the author manages to explain that which appears to be impossible. Three books into this series I’m a huge fan and can’t wait for book #4.

Full review: https://helenasheat.blogspot.com/2024/06/cabaret-macabre-by-tom-mead.html

MURDER AT GREYSBRIDGE (Inishowen Mystery #4) by Andrea Carter. (4.5*)

Two suspicious deaths at a summer wedding keep solicitor Ben O'Keeffe on her toes as she tries to figure out what exactly happened and more importantly why. Throw in two potential love interests, and a somewhat gothic setting, and you end up with a fascinating page-turner in which everything is somehow connected. This well-plotted and expertly told mystery kept me intrigued from start to finish.

THE BODY IN THE LIBRARY (Miss Marple #3) by Agatha Christie (5*)

“When there’s anything fishy about, I never believe anyone at all!

What’s not to love about a Miss Marple mystery by the fabulous Agatha Christie. Even the fact that I more or less knew who dunnit and expected the major twist didn’t spoil my fun.

A MAN LAY DEAD (Roderick Alleyn #1) by Ngaio Marsh

Strictly speaking a re-read but considering that it is 40+ years since I read this book for the first time it might as well have been a new-to-me story. And now that I've reconnected with Roderick Alleyn I am pretty sure I'll revisit other books in the series even if I'm not 100% sure that Ngaio Marsh plays completely fair with the reader when it comes to clues and the resolution of the mystery.

A VERY BRITISH MURDER by Lucy Worsley (4*) NF

Blurb: In A Very British Murder, Lucy Worsley explores this phenomenon in forensic detail, revisiting notorious crimes like the Ratcliff Highway Murders, which caused a nation-wide panic in the early nineteenth century, and the case of Frederick and Maria Manning, the suburban couple who were hanged after killing Maria's lover and burying him under their kitchen floor. Fascination with crimes like these became a form of national entertainment, inspiring novels and plays, puppet shows and paintings, poetry and true-crime journalism. At a point during the birth of modern Britain, murder entered the national psyche, and it's been a part of that ever since.

Interesting and easy to read. While the book covers 200 years of crime writing and all of it was fascinating, I much preferred the section dealing with the golden age of crime. My one concern is that I f Lucy Worsley can get a fact like the number of children Agatha Christie had wrong, I can’t help wondering if there are other mistakes in this book. Thankfully Mrs Worsley didn’t repeat her mistake when she wrote Agatha Christie’s biography. A Very British Murder was based on a three-part TV documentary with the same title and in what came as a huge surprise to me, I preferred the series over the book.

The IT Girl by Ruth Ware (4*)

An intriguing mystery in which Hannah, a young, pregnant woman revisits the murder of her best friend and roommate when the man convicted for the crime dies after a decade in prison. He claimed to be innocent until the day he died. But if he didn’t do it, who did? Can Hannah uncover the truth without putting herself and her unborn child in danger? I enjoyed this story although I do feel it could probably have been about 100 pages shorter without losing any vital plot points.

GUILTY BY DEFINITION by Susie Dent (5+*)

Guilty by Definition is a fascinating, original, and well-plotted mystery as well as an ode to words set in the offices of the Clarendon English Dictionary. This title will almost certainly make it into my top 10 reads for 2024.

Full review: https://helenasheat.blogspot.com/2024/06/guilty-by-definition-by-suzie-dent.html

Cabaret Macabre by Tom Mead

Joseph Spector #3

320 Pages

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Release Date: August 1, 2024

Netgalley

 

Blurb

Sleuth and illusionist Joseph Spector investigates his most complex case yet in this gripping new locked-room murder mystery from Tom Mead, set in an English country house just before the Second World War.

Hampshire, 1938. Victor Silvius is confined in a private sanatorium after attacking prominent judge Sir Giles Drury. When Sir Giles starts receiving sinister threatening letters, his wife suspects Silvius. Meanwhile, Silvius’ sister Caroline is convinced her brother is about to be murdered... by none other than his old nemesis Sir Giles.

Caroline seeks the advice of Scotland Yard’s Inspector Flint, while the Drurys, eager to avoid a scandal, turn to Joseph Spector. Spector, renowned magician turned sleuth, has an uncanny knack for solving complicated crimes – but this case will test his powers of deduction to their limits.

At a snowbound English country house, a body is found is impossible circumstances, and a killer’s bullet is fired through a locked window without breaking the glass. Spector and Flint’s investigations soon collide as they find themselves trapped by the snowstorm where anyone could be the next victim – or the killer...

 

Review

Almost a decade ago a young woman died under suspicious circumstances, but the mystery of her death has never been solved. The aftermath left one man, Victor Silvius confined to a private sanatorium for attacking Sir Giles Drury, the judge he held responsible for the death of the woman he loved.

Now, in 1938 the old case is coming back to life and Scotland Yard inspector Flint and Joseph Spector, former magician and occasional sleuth, are asked to investigate. Unfortunately, their involvement doesn’t prevent further bloodshed. In fact, it isn’t long before Spector and Flint are up to their necks in murders which all appear to be impossible and require all of Spector’s skills to eventually unravel.

If the description of this book makes it sound as if there’s a lot going on in the story, you are right. In fact, the blurb barely scratches the surface when it comes to (impossible) murders, victims, and mysteries. There is so much happening in this story that it should be too much and overwhelming. And, I want to say that in the hands of a lesser author this story and the solutions to the mysteries wouldn’t have worked. Tom Mead works some kind of magic of his own in this book which allows him to tell a story at neck-breaking speed without overwhelming the reader.

Eighteen clues are masterfully hidden in this story and tagged so that the reader can check and discover, like I did, that Tom Mead plays fair with his audience. All the information the reader needs to solve the mysteries in this story is available to those who pay close attention. I for one have to admit that I missed most but, I’m proud to say, not all of them.

This is the third Joseph Spector mystery I’ve read and with every book I’m more in awe of Tom Mead’s storytelling and mystery-creating prowess. The release of the next book in this series can’t come soon enough for me.

Related reviews:

Death and the Conjuror: https://helenasheat.blogspot.com/2023/05/death-and-conjuror-by-tom-mead.html

The Murder Wheel:  https://helenasheat.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-murder-wheel-by-tom-mead.html

 

 

The Murder Wheel by Tom Mead

 

Joseph Spector #2

253 pages

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Release Date: October 12, 2023

Netgalley

 

Blurb

Illusionist turned sleuth Joseph Spector investigates a sinister conundrum at a 1930s theatre in this thrilling new mystery novel from Tom Mead, author of Death and the Conjuror, one of Publishers Weekly's Mysteries of the Year 2022.

1938, London. Young lawyer Edmund Ibbs has a new client: a woman accused of shooting her husband in the already infamous 'Ferris Wheel Murder' case.

The case proves to be a web of conspiracy, and Ibbs himself is accused when a second suspicious death occurs, during a magic act at the crowded Pomegranate Theatre.

Also present at the theatre is Joseph Spector, illusionist turned highly respected sleuth. Spector begins to investigate the mystery, but when another body is discovered later that same night, all evidence points to Ibbs being guilty.

With time against him, and a host of hangers-on all having something to hide, can Spector uncover the guilty party, or will he and Inspector Flint of Scotland Yard conclude that Ibbs is the culprit after all?

 

Review

Earlier this year I read Death and the Conjurer (click for my review) and found myself eagerly anticipating the release of the second mystery featuring Joseph Spector. Well, the wait is over, and I have to say The Murder Wheel more than lived up to my very high expectations.

If you follow my reviews, you may have noticed I love mysteries. And if there is a hierarchy to my appreciation of mysteries, impossible/closed-room murders are at the top of my list. So, imagine my delight when I discovered that The Murder Wheel contains not one, nor two, but three such dilemmas. It is delightful when what appears to be impossible not only turns out to be feasible but also logical and so easy to understand after explanation that I want to slap my forehead for not having figured it out for myself. Better still, during the denouement, the author very kindly indicates what the clues were and where in the story they could (should) have been found.

I’m growing quite fond of the regular characters in these stories. Joseph Spector is a bit of an enigma. A retired stage magician, he now appears to spend most of his time in a pub which he treats more or less like his office. He appears to be an einzelgänger but does have a keen interest in people and there is very little he doesn’t notice and store away for future reference. Of course, making the main character and investigator of this series a retired magician is a stroke of genius. Who could be better equipped to see beyond the sleight of hand and recognise the ways in which the seemingly impossible can be pulled off?

Scotland Yard Inspector George Flint is the official investigator in these books and while it can certainly be said that Joseph Spector out-investigates him, he isn’t your stereotypical blundering yet arrogant policeman, far from it. He’s well aware of his limitations when it comes to these impossible crimes and what’s more, he is really invested in solving the cases which means he not only embraces but also seeks Spector’s assistance. He makes for a refreshing move away from a somewhat tired stereotype in mystery fiction.

This book offered a second refreshing aspect in Edmund Ibbs, a young lawyer and amateur magician. Most of the story is narrated from his perspective which means we get to observe Spector from more than one perspective. What’s more, his presence also means that we don’t get to see Spector as uniquely qualified to solve cases since Ibbs manages to solve at least one of the three cases on his own.

I really can’t praise this book and series enough. Well written, exquisitely plotted, and smoothly told, these Spector mysteries are a joy to read and come with satisfying and plausible—be it (almost) impossible to guess—solutions. Nothing short of spectacular!

I will be awaiting the publication of Joseph Spector #3 with a great deal of impatience and am delighted to discover that Tom Mead is already plotting the fourth instalment. 😊

Death and the Conjuror by Tom Mead

Joseph Spector #1

256 pages

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Paperback / Own

 

Blurb

 

1936. London. A celebrity psychiatrist is discovered dead in his locked study. There seems to be no way a killer could have escaped unseen. There are no clues, no witnesses, and no evidence of the murder weapon. Stumped by the confounding scene, Inspector Flint, the Scotland Yard detective on the case, calls on retired stage magician turned part-time sleuth Joseph Spector.

Spector has a knack for explaining the inexplicable, but even he finds that there is more to this mystery than meets the eye. As he and the Inspector interview the colourful cast of suspects, they uncover no shortage of dark secrets—or motives for murder. And when a second murder occurs, this time in an impenetrable elevator, they realize the crime wave will become even more deadly unless they can catch the culprit soon.

 

Review

 

This book was a wonderful surprise (thank you, Tara). I do love me a solid, impossible-seeming mystery, especially when it comes with a plausible and understandable solution. Tom Mead delivered on all counts.

The best way to describe this story is as a locked room mystery inspired by the Golden Age of Crime Fiction. Except that we have three locked rooms and three different but possibly connected mysteries—the two murders described in the blurb and one apparently impossible theft.

I loved that there aren’t so many characters in this story that I got confused about who was who and how they related to the crimes. The list of suspects is even shorter, which worked on two fronts: it allows the reader to work the mysteries out for themselves (I completely failed on that front) and it makes the mysteries even more intriguing than they already were because of the locked rooms aspects.

If I did miss anything in this story it was more information about how Joseph Spector became a sort of assistant of Inspector Flint. I assume this part of their story may have been told in previously published short stories, but since I haven’t read those and am unsure if I can get my hands on them now, those details may remain a mystery. I can’t say it bothered me while reading Death and the Conjuror, but now that I’ve finished the story, I find myself curious.

Mentions of Christie, her 11-day disappearing act, and the Detection Club made me smile. Combined with the 1936 setting, it placed this book right in that Golden Age of Mystery time frame, which is exactly where it belongs as far as I’m concerned.

I could go on. The intriguing story is well-written and reads smoothly. The characters are fascinating and well-presented. And, most importantly given the genre, the mystery is very well plotted and the denouement very satisfactory. This book is listed as Joseph Spector #1 and the release of Joseph Spector #2 can’t come soon enough for me.